West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-04-22
PRICES SIXTY YEARS AGO.
National Weekly.

~ ii DOOh VI O~O. Va ot-Nes
years ago, shows some of the prices
of our ancestors, and gives us food
for thought in comparing them with
the prices of to-day. The location
was Rochester, n. T., and the ac-
counts were of a general character.
AS ladies should always come first /
will begin on their goods: Calico, 81
cents per yard; ginghans, 40 cents;
fiannels, so cents; dress silks were
from 81 to $3 per yard; ladies' shoes,
$3.50 per pair; mems boots from $3
to $5 per pair; ladies bonnets were
then seldom changed in style or
fashion, and prices ranged from 81
to $S. Elias Howe, the inventor of
sewing machines, was then unheard
of, and tailors received for making
coats from rs cents to So each. Pants
and vests were each got up in the
then prevailing style for fIom % to
so cents each. The hero of these
accounts was then bachelor some
80 years of age, and several entries
show where 80 cents per dozen was
the price paid for laundry work.
Old folks will remember "dickies,"
a sort of false shirt front, which are
in sevcra' places charged DO cents
each. OF building material bricks
are quoted at IS per NJ; clear pine
lumber at so per NJ; nails, II cents
per pound; glass, SxlO light, 10
cents; lime per bushel, 10 cents;
hauling with team per day, $l.75.
Laborers' wages were 60 to 40 cents
per day. Stonemasons, bricklayers
and carpenters are in several places
in the book credited with work at
$3.50 per day. Board for working
men . cents per meal, or $l.75 per
week. Smoked hams were Z cents
per pound; fresh beef, 4 cents; fresh
pork, 81 cents; mutton, by the quar-
ter,22 cents; butter, 15 cents; eggs,
12J cents per dozen: potatoes, %
cents per bushel; coffee, 20 cents;
tea, Young Hyson, LAO per pound;
rice, cents; sugar, Z cents; molas-
ses, 40 cents per gallon: maple mo-
lasses and sugar were quoted at
about same prices; salt, 20 cents per
bushel; "locofoco'' matches, 25 cents
per box, for about as many as are
now sold for 3 cents, and very few
appeared to be sold, as tinder and
steel were relied on for fire. Why
the matches were called ''locofoco" /
have never understood, but presume
some of our old grandsires could tell.
Coal for fuel was not then used, and
four-io0t cord wood is in several
places charged for at 81 per cord.
Cooking stoves were then just COM
ing in use of the ''Horseblock" pat
tern, and cost $1S each. Corn was
65 cents per busGel. Flour nuctua-
ted from "a 10 $40 per barrel. hut
the average was nearer the former
price. Tobacco sold at 40 cents per
pound, and cigars appear to have
been unknown, at least none are
charged. Whiskey-not our mod.
ern tanglefoot, but good-was 35
cents per gallon. Santa Cruz, ia
maica, Porto Rico and various kinds
Of rum were from so cents to 81 per
gallon. 'Blackstrap," favorite old
time beverage, commanded 81 per
gallon, and was the favorite tipple
for general training day. as the
day for general muster of the State
militia was called, and which in those
days was a roaring farce. Among
the items of the spring of 1927 is one
as follows: REV William Patterson,
CIR: BY service at wedding, 50, and
about the same time Dlr. p. is charg-
ed "One hat, So" from which it is
presumed that these were the ruling
prices for these necessaries of life.
Money was OF gold, silver and paper,
as to-day, but was very scarce, and
"barter or trade was mostly used in
traffic
Only the larger cities and towns
had their own newspapers, and the
news was stale. Postage on letters
was 129. 1S8, or 20 cents per letter,
according to the distance carried,
and stamps were unknown for near
twenty years after. At the option of
the sender postage on letters could
be prepaid or not. and right here one |
of the most highly esteemed old la
dies of this country one day received /
notice Of letter with 80 cents due
that was held in the Post Office for
her. Not having the money, she her
self killed and skinned calf, selling
the hide TO tanner for % cents to
redeem the letter.